Through the years we laughed and cried with this super couple. We watched their escapades with glee, followed as they landed in and out of danger whether it was escaping the wrath of Frank Smith or the curse of the Cassadines. Through it all we followed the lives of not only the characters but of the actors themselves. Genie Francis went on to pursue roles and a career outside of daytime, disappearing from GH leaving Luke alone.  We cried when Laura returned from the dead announcing she had a son with another man, GH having successfully wooed the popular actress back, resurrecting Luke and Laura once again. Suddenly the couple was fresh and new again with a new set of conflicts and drama still set in familiar roots - maturity in life and career no doubt enhancing the unparalleled chemistry and intensity virtually unmatched in any medium between Genie Francis and Tony Geary. But life being what it is personal life issues took Genie Francis off the canvas once more signaling another end to the Luke and Laura glory days. Who didn’t cry and cry when Laura was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, catatonic and with no memory of her beloved Luke. Plot device, yes but we cried for the character anyways and for what seemed like the end of an era, a bittersweet ending to one of the most successful love affairs ever to grace the small screen.

But that was then and this is now.

2004: Can Luke move on from the love of his life? Can he open a heart that was so severely stomped on by circumstance, so badly destroyed by regret and disappointment to another? Me thinks so my friends.

Through the years Luke has been involved with several women -Holly, Felicia, Summer - but something always seemed to be missing as far as I was concerned. The excitement the character needs, the strength to stand up to Tony Geary’s charisma, just wasn’t there.  Kristina Wagner’s Felicia came pretty darn close, both in the excitement department and in the chemistry department but we always knew that pairing would be short lived. Luke is barely raising his own children, saddle him with Georgie and Maxie, just didn’t work. Summer was a fun diversion for, uh, well the summer, but a diversion is all she was as the character had no depth or reason to be on the show, and the writers could never figure out what to do with her. I liked the actress but all she turned out to be was a bit of fluff passing the time as a momentary glint in Luke’s eye.

Fast forward to Skye Chandler, a woman dripping with every type of heartache one could possibly stand. If you’re at all familiar with the character’s history, which incidentally goes back to All My Children, through One Life To Life and now on to General Hospital you’d understand why this is the woman now for Luke.

As I watched the set up of this unlikely yet perfectly plausible friendship develop, bound by hurt and revenge and intrigue I said to myself could this be? Could this work? Could the fans accept another woman in Luke’s life? Could I? Well my answer is a resounding yes. And I suspect your answer is the same.

Laura’s been gone long enough with no rumblings of a return – whether its her family keeping her off the show or a less than successful relationship with the current regime at GH who knows but one thing is clear - it’s time for Luke to open his heart no matter how badly it hurt and let the wounds heal. Tony Geary is at his best playing the romantic anti-hero, but in order to do that he needs a female counterpart, preferably one tinged with enough vulnerabilities and an iron will to pique Luke’s interest.   Who better then Skye, played by the talented Robin Christopher. She has the chutzpa that gives Luke a run for his money. She’s built up as many walls around her heart as he has, maybe more and is as sensitive underneath it all as Luke really is. She’s conniving and devious and doesn’t take any crap from anyone but would never deliberately set out to harm anyone who hasn’t harmed her first. Just like Luke. She stands up for what she believes in and calls people to the mat. Just like Luke. She’s totally gorgeous, has a flair for fashion yet the actress is always willing to allow herself to appear as an alcoholic might, smeared make up, disheveled clothing and wounded pride. Robin Christopher’s Skye is the female version of Tony Geary’s Luke.

And it’s working. It’s working in spades.

It started with a kiss on the hand at the masquerade ball and that first shock of pure chemistry, and continued to the Port Charles Hotel fire where Luke and Skye spent most of their time trying to save each other - kissed. Really kissed. I almost fell through the floor from the heat (pardon the pun) and from the blasphemous thought of Luke with another woman. For about one second that is.  Well, why the hell shouldn’t Luke be with another woman? Every person deserves another chance at love. Most soap opera characters jump around from bed to bed with no real connections or build ups, here was a really viable relationship the show has taken great pains at slowly building up. I couldn’t help opening my mind and heart to the possibility and guess what, I like it, it works, the actors are terrific together and now I’m sorry it will be cut fairly short as Robin Christopher gets closer and closer to her maternity leave.

The possibilities are endless for this couple as long as they are given good story which hopefully the writing team at GH will create. Geary’s spent enough time sitting around doing basically nothing, window dressing in between his hiatus’s as the show focuses most of its attentions on those four core characters.  With the murder of Ross (Matt Crane- Robin’s real life husband) and the interference of Tracy Q (Jane Elliot) we have a classic Luke/Laura caper in the making with Skye taking her rightful position as Laura’s replacement. The budding romance and powerful attraction the characters have for each other will make it even more fun watching Tony Geary and Robin Christopher build upon the emotions, taking us to the inevitable romantic pay off that is sure to include lots of comedic, zany moments in true Luke fashion as they try to solve the murder.

Should we forget about Laura Spencer, of course not, how could we, but if Genie Francis isn’t returning to the role any time soon Luke Spencer and Anthony Geary have an opportunity to shine again with a more than worthy, if probably unexpected partner. That’s the real beauty of chemistry – it can hit out of nowhere and suddenly anything is possible providing it’s recognized. Skye and Luke have been dancing around each other, on again, off again for months and months. The writers have been testing the waters for long enough now, move this relationship forward, commit to it and to the characters together and pretty soon we’ll all be saying… Laura who?







 "until next time, watch where you stick that thermometer "


Nurse Cratchet

 
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Email me @ nursecratchet@soaptownusa.com